What I've been making...

Hi guys, I've been making rather a lot at the moment! Allow me to walk you through...

   Cute Christmas cookie set   

   Large Cookie

Miniature Cookie

Cute Gingerbread man

                                 Happy Cloud                   Happy Cloud Pattern

Pin Cushion jar

Pin Cushion Jar

Pin Cushion Jar

Owl keyring

Bird keyrings

Pin Cushion Jar

Pin Cushion Jar

I love making all of these things, it kind of de-stresses me. I started running out of people to give them to, so I thought I'd set up this little shop :)

Oh, and don't forget your discount code PROMO1 to receive 10% off!

What I've been up to...

So, I've been a bit quiet on the sewing front lately. To be honest with you, I've been so in the zone, I've not even thought about blogging them! I just think of the next project!! 

Here's a sneak peek of what will feature in the next few posts. 

NINE handmade items!! 

I have been a busy bee! I won't do 9 separate posts for these, as some of them are either very similar, or just simple. 

I look forward to telling you about them!!

I did it!

Well, you all know I've been at uni for what seems like forever, but I finally graduated this week!

Best of all, my husbands graduation was on the same day, so we were able to get some photos of us both in our gowns which was lovely.

Our graduation was on Plymouth Hoe, so of course we had to get Smeatons Tower in our pics!

It feels awesome so have finally finished uni, it's been the hardest thing I've ever done.

Oh, yes that is the dress I refashioned a few posts back :) I got some compliments which was nice!

Speak soon!

Graduation dress...

I've been a busy bee lately! I have made countless items of ACTUAL WEARABLE CLOTHES! Not just dresses either, everyday skirts and blouses too. I've also done a lot of re-fashions. Here is one I bought this week for £1...

This far too long black and red polka dot dress! Miraculously, not a bad fit :) But the poor unloved dress had hundreds of moth holes and tiny little tears. It also had some lovely shoulder pads haha! I didn't take pics of the moth holes because there were so many of them, I would still be there fixing them now!

Anyway, as the fit was fine, I simply cut the bottom of the dress into a slightly dipped hem (to help cover my ginormous bum!!), fixed the holes and tears, and also stitched up the button holes. As a lady with a larger top half, button down dresses and tops tend to gape and show everything off haha!

Oh, and it has pockets!!

Look how flowy it is!!

I had kind of forgotten that my graduation is next week, so how lucky was it to come across this dress? I actually saw it as I was on my way out of the shop! And for £1?! I will be the cheapest dressed person there, and I won't even care because I made it look awesome :D

Until next time :) 

I branched out!...

Ok guys, I have been suuuper busy on the craft front recently. making lots of clothes for myself which is nice :) I have also decided to venture onto etsy. So please do have a gander at my shop and tell me what you think, or what I should list there, that'd be great!!

Here's the link: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WhyDidIMakeThat?ref=s2-header-shopname

You may need to copy that into your browser bar, I'm not so tech-savvy, did know how to make it clickable haha!

Oh, by the way, I do plan on updating you all with this crafting malarkey I've been doing. It just happens that I work all day, then I craft in the evening, so there's never any decent lighting around. I will do it soon. Promise :)


Byee!

An actual wearable item of clothing!

Hi guys! So I've not had much time for crafts lately, final year at uni and 11 weeks until my wedding is just consuming every waking minute right now. BUT! I had a spare evening last week so I decided to knock something out that I've wanted to do for ages...

(not the best pic, hastily taken in the mirror with my new camera that I still don't know how to use!)

Ok, so this may not look like the most technical blouse ever, but it had a lot of elements that I wanted to try. I've made clothes before - I used to make those massive dresses you see in old western re-enactments, but a lot of those techniques are different to what we do nowadays. 

(what I often made. Gorgeous pattern)

I've made clothes for myself before as well, but they were things like summer dresses, pyjama bottoms etc. Things that were allowed to be baggy and wonky looking. But I wanted to make something I could wear all the time.

I drafted the pattern myself, based on a favourite blouse I already had. I made a few changes. I allowed for the back to come down a lot lower, to allow for my builders butt that often comes out when I'm working in the studio!, I added darts, and I added bias binding around the neck and arm holes. The original top just had a seam and it was a bitch to iron!

(here's a blurry pic showing the length at the back and the lovely drape of the fabric)

(This shows how I made the sleeves thinner and added bias binding)

(Close up of my bias binding. Bit wonky now I look at it. Too scared to use the 

machine on my first attempt at it!!)

Now I was quite naughty. I didn't make up a practice top (muslin?) I had this beautiful silky fabric and only 3 hours. Luckily nothing went wrong and I had almost no wastage or anything like that. I got lucky!

So, things I learned:

-how to do bias binding

-how to hem a curve

-where to put a dart in without a pattern

-that this fabric was lovely to sew with and to stop being scared of anything new and just do it!

-that I'm smaller than I think I am! I tend to allow loads of room for movement, but I've actually lost weight!

-use a zig zag stitch in replacement of an overlocker

Most importantly, this little project has given me more confidence. I am good at sewing. And I'm not saying ti to brag or anything, but it's something I can actually do quite well. After finishing this blouse I had the courage to take in one of my cardigans that I've been meaning to do for ages. Bit scary cutting the sides of the knitting, but it worked and it's lovely now. I may show you that when I get another free evening.

Just remember guys, just do it. If you're afraid of a new technique, just have a go at it anyway. It might be easier than you think, and it'll open up loads of opportunities for you!

New things...

Hello! Long time no blog!

Sorry everyone, it's been really hectic lately, been back in my home town, been back here, had a birthday, had a hangover, had lots of uni work, had no time for crafts. However, here's something I made before it all went mental...

It's a little pin cushion jar!

You can take the lid off and store your pins too

How useful is that?! I made a bigger one for my mum which was about 8cm in diameter, but these little cuties are only 4cm in diameter, they just fit pins in quite snugly. I made them in a few colours...

I like the pink one the best :)